A Tour Up the Straits, from Gibraltar to Constantinople: With the Leading Events in the Present War Between the Austrians, Russians, and the Turks, to the Commencement of the Year 1789Sutherland, David, Captain
History
A Tour Up the Straits, from Gibraltar to Constantinople: With the Leading Events in the Present War Between the Austrians, Russians, and the Turks, to the Commencement of the Year 1789
Sutherland, David, Captain
Mediterranean Region -- Description and travel; Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792
While Prince Lichtenstein was laying an unsuccessful siege to Dubitza,
which ended in a complete overthrow; in consequence of which we have
left him on the Austrian side of the Unna, threatened in his new
intrenchments, the Grand Imperial Army advanced opposite to Sabacz, on
the banks of the Save, about two days march west of Belgrade, where they
remained till the Emperor arrived, in order that his taking the field
might be marked by a successful enterprise. But, even according to the
Vienna account, Sabacz contained but 17 pieces of cannon, and the
garrison amounted to only 800 men.
It should seem, however, as if the Austrian Generals, in compliment to
their Sovereign, wished to conceal the weakness of the object of their
enterprise by the pomp of the attack. A regular siege was commenced,
trenches were opened, and the batteries being completed by the 23d of
April, began a heavy cannonade, which soon overpowered the fire of the
Turks. Nevertheless they kept possession of a few rotten walls, which
served by way of outwork, till a column, composed of the riflemen of the
regiment of Peterwaradin, of the free corps of Servia, and the regiment
Esterhazy, advanced to storm them. On this attack the Turks retreated
into the interior part of their works, and finding it in vain, in such a
place, to contend any longer against the grand army of the Emperor, and
a numerous train of artillery, they surrendered their post.
The Emperor gave the Turks great credit for their defence, and much to
his honour, treated the prisoners with attention, sending their wives
and children to their own country.
During the few hours the Austrian fire was kept up, their batteries were
well served, and the troops ordered to the assault, advanced with great
spirit. In short, this enterprise would have done honor to the Emperor's
arms, had it been worth the time, labour, and expence he bestowed to
achieve it.
His people boast, that among the trophies are twenty pair of colours,
but they do not inform us how the number of standards came to be near
three times that of the cannon, or why eight hundred men should have
forty colours. And the Turks say, that till the Grand Vizir can find him
better employment, they have no objection to his Imperial Majesty taking
every village on the Save on the same terms he paid for Sabacz.
The number of men the Austrians lost is not exactly known; the accounts
from Vienna only mention that Prince Poniatowski, and the Baron de
Refroy, a General of Artillery, are among the wounded.
It was supposed that as soon as the Emperor took the command of his
Grand Army, that he would have besieged Belgrade, but by the latest
accounts he was very quiet in the neighbourhood of Semlin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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